When three Rohingya survivors entered the International Court of Justice in The Hague earlier this year to give evidence about what had happened to them and their families, something unusual took place. This is the world’s principal court for disputes between states. Its own statute is explicit: only states may be parties before it. Individuals cannot bring cases, however grave the abuses they have suffered. Yet, during the merits hearings in Gambia v. Myanmar, the judges heard directly from Roh

France has reported its first case of the Shamonda virus in a human, involving an immunocompromised patient who died. The virus is typically transmitted to animals by midges and was previously not known to infect humans.

RIYADH: A British expatriate has welcomed the UK government’s support for Saudi Arabia amid the attacks from the Iran-backed Houthi militia. Britain is deploying Royal Air Force fighter jets to Saudi Arabia and extending air-to-air refueling support as the Kingdom faces continued missile and drone threats. For Somi Arian, host of Argaam’s OnPoint podcast, the announcement carries both personal and diplomatic significance. “As a British citizen who has made Saudi Arabia my second home, I feel pro

Katmandu: Two Japanese climbers have been missing since October 15 on a Himalayan peak, Mukti Ram Khanal, chief district officer of the Manang district in north Nepal, said on Thursday. ⁠The climbers were ⁠attempting Gangapurna West peak, which is 7,140 meters (23,425 ft) high and is located ⁠in Manang. Helicopter rescuers have found no sign of the pair apart from what appeared to be their bag near the summit. The climbers were at about ⁠7,100 ⁠meters (23,293 ft) when officials last had cont

A new art installation in Tehran features a life-size jail cell with an actor portraying former US President Donald Trump, attracting interest and sparking a range of reactions from locals.

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has facilitated the voluntary repatriation of 140 Somali refugees from Yemen in cooperation with the UN Refugee Agency, reported the Saudi Press Agency. The refugees left from Aden International Airport on Wednesday as part of a humanitarian project to protect and assist refugees and communities affected by displacement. KSrelief also facilitated the return of 154 Somali refugees from Yemen via the same route in August. The repatriations are occurring amid Yemen

DIMONA, Israel: When Israeli voter Daniela Hermon heads to the polls next week, she will cast her ballot for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without hesitation. “A leader of this calibre emerges only once every century,” she said in her hometown of Dimona. Netanyahu is in the midst of a close race for re-election, with polls showing him more or less in a dead heat with ex-army chief Gadi Eisenkot, who has slammed the premier as unfit to lead. But many like Hermon have kept the faith, credi

Six pioneering Arab female researchers from the GCC, including Saudi Arabia, have been recognized at the 13th edition of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Middle East Program. Their work addresses pressing regional and global priorities, from infectious diseases and personalized medicine to water security, advanced materials and sustainable technologies.  Since its regional launch in 2014, the program has supported 69 Arab women researchers with more than SR4 million ($1.0

RIYADH: The Qatari Businessmen Association discussed expanding mutual investment and industrial partnerships with French Foreign Trade Minister Nicolas Forissier, seeking joint projects that support economic diversification. The meeting, hosted by the association, was attended by its chairman Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani as well as other board members, Qatar Financial Centre CEO Mansoor Rashid Al Khater, and a delegation of major French companies. The discussions come as Qatar seeks to deep

The article discusses the diverse dimensions of cricket grounds and highlights a new website, cricketboundary.com, that compiles accurate measurements of 124 professional cricket grounds worldwide, utilizing satellite imagery and verified data. The creator developed this resource to address inconsistencies in boundary measurements across existing sources, enhancing the ability to compare different grounds visually and statistically. This initiative reflects a growing interest in precise cricket statistics and the unique characteristics of each venue.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun warned that escalating tensions between Israel and Iran could draw Lebanon into a new conflict, emphasizing the unpredictability of wars and the need for dialogue. Israeli military activity, particularly in southern Lebanon, and threats against Hezbollah's involvement in potential Iranian attacks heighten concerns, with officials cautioned about the grave consequences of renewed hostilities.

DAMMAM: For the sixth time in two weeks, a Saudi Pro League match has been postponed as a result of attacks targeting airports in Saudi Arabia. “The Saudi Professional League has decided to postpone the match between Al-Ahli and Al-Khaleej, part of the 11th round of the Roshn Saudi League — originally scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22 — with a new date to be determined at a later time,” read an Al-Ahli statement released on Thursday afternoon. The prominent Saudi sports show Rotana Sport with Wale

India on Thursday condemned the deadly attacks on an Aramco oil field and an airport in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province a day earlier, which killed at least one Indian national. An Indian national was one of two people killed in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday evening, India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed in separate statements. Saudi authorities said the Dammam airport attack also killed a Saudi

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s construction costs rose 2.2 percent year on year in September, driven by higher equipment rental, labour, material and energy costs, official data showed. According to the latest report by the General Authority for Statistics, construction costs in the residential sector increased 2.1 percent year on year, while costs in the non-residential sector climbed 2.6 percent. This comes as regional conflict threatens to disrupt supply chains and raise logistics costs. In its Oct

BEIJING: All countries should ‌enjoy freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, China and Djibouti said in a joint statement following ​a meeting of their foreign ministers in Beijing, expressing concern about the deteriorating security situation. Djibouti sits on the other side of the Bab Ed-Mandab Strait from Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthis have been battling Saudi-backed government forces and seeking to control the whole Yemeni Red Sea coast, disrupting some s

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s maritime and logistics sector has absorbed nine months of regional conflict without interruption to trade, and Red Sea ports are handling record cargo volumes, the group CEO of shipping, logistics and freight company ABSA Al Barrak Group said on Wednesday. Speaking to Arab News on the opening day of the Saudi Maritime and Logistics Congress in Jeddah, Akshay Anand said the geography of the Kingdom provided options few countries in a comparable position would have. “From a

LONDON: Oman’s Duqm Special Economic Zone is negotiating new investments worth between 7 billion and 8 billion Omani rials ($18 billion to $21 billion) in the iron and aluminum sectors, with agreements on project work plans expected before the end of this year, according to the zone’s CEO. Ahmed bin Ali Akaak told Asharq Bloomberg in an interview on the sidelines of the UK-Gulf Cooperation Council strategic dialogue in London that the talks had reached “very significant understandings.” Finali

A shark known as ‘Bukangi’ has eluded authorities and returned to a canal in Busan, South Korea, after being guided toward the open sea. The incident has drawn significant attention online.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's flagship artificial intelligence firm Humain has landed its first customer for its planned giga campus in Neom’s Oxagon. Netherlands-based artificial intelligence cloud company Nebius has signed a preliminary agreement with the Public Investment Fund owned firm to offtake up to 50 megawatts at the date center — half of the initial 100 MW currently under construction as part of the first phase’s planned 360 MW total. The agreement was also signed by DataVolt, a developer, o

Diplomats from Europe and the Middle East, including Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, will gather in Istanbul to address key regional issues. The meeting will focus on the Palestinian issue, Yemen, the Strait of Hormuz, and efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.